Executive Director, Operations

Job Description

Executive Director, Operations - M4 - Boxmeer, The Netherlands

A highly strategic leadership opportunity has arisen for an Executive Director, Operations at our largest and most complex Animal Health manufacturing site globally, in Boxmeer.

Reporting to the Site Lead, this role provides single-point accountability for the Run System (Manufacturing Operations), leading execution across Integrated Production Teams (IPTs) and Operations Services, with a team of approx.. 1000 colleagues.

The role has full accountability for four Integrated Production Teams (Antigen, Live, IVP, and Packaging) and Operations Services, representing the complete Manufacturing Operations (Run System) at the site.

The Executive Director ensures the safe, compliant, reliable, and cost-effective execution of manufacturing, sustaining predictable delivery of supply in alignment with the site operating model.

This role is explicitly defined as the owner of execution performance (SQDC) within the Boxmeer system-based operating model. In this capacity, the Executive Director provides leadership continuity and representing the site in designated forums where required.

Bring energy, knowledge, innovation to carry out the following:

• Own end-to-end Manufacturing execution performance, ensuring consistent and sustainable delivery across Safety, Quality, Delivery, and Cost (SQDC), and reinforcing a culture of accountability and operational discipline.
• Lead and integrate four Integrated Production Teams (Antigen, Live, IVP, Packaging) and Operations Services into a cohesive execution system, driving alignment, clarity of ownership, and high performance across day and shift organizations.
• Execute the site production plan as defined by Supply Chain with rigor and discipline, proactively identifying constraints, escalating risks, and ensuring transparent performance tracking.
• Ensure full GMP compliance and permanent inspection readiness, embedding 'Safety First, Quality Always' behaviors and reinforcing regulatory excellence at all levels of the organization.
• Drive operational excellence, embedding continuous improvement into daily operations and delivering measurable gains in productivity, yield, and cycle time.
• Own operational stability by strengthening right-first-time performance, reducing variability, and ensuring robust deviation management and root cause resolution.
• Lead operational risk management with a proactive mindset, ensuring timely identification, escalation, and resolution of issues impacting execution and supply reliability.
• Ensure production and project milestones are achieved through planning, effective decision making and execution of integrated overall program schedule
• Ensure readiness and flawless execution of manufacturing campaigns, including clinical, PPQ, and commercial batches, delivering right-first-time outcomes.
• Drive standardization, execution and operational excellence by applying Lean principles to foster continuous improvement mindset to deliver a productive and cost-efficient operating model.
• Provide clear direction and definition of any new project scope, goals and deliverables, to the site and cross-functional sub-teams on an on-going basis - ensure consistent delivery on projects and activities that has been agreed.
• Manage financial forecasts and workload to achieve departmental headcount and cost improvements
• Embed a strong technical and digital mindset within the organization, staying up to date with emerging technologies that will benefit the wider organization and manufacturing processes.
• Build and develop high-performing teams, strengthening leadership capability across IPTs and Operations Services to sustain performance and scalability.
• Foster an inclusive, accountable, and performance-driven culture aligned with Enterprise Leadership Skills, reinforcing ownership and decision clarity.
• Serve on the Site Leadership Team for Operations to develop and deliver toward site and organizational priorities and strategy.

General competencies:

• Effective leadership and interpersonal skills, including leading and coaching direct team to drive a high performance organizational culture that accommodates rapid growth and highly dynamic operating execution. A role model for the Enterprise Leadership Skills and Ways of Working. Growth mindset with a global perspective.
• Ability to lead large-scale manufacturing organizations with clear accountability for execution performance and outcomes, and to influence across organizational layers, as well as above site and externally with partners.
• Strong system thinker capable of operating within defined system boundaries while ensuring effective cross-functional collaboration.
• Proven capability to translate strategy into disciplined execution, driving ownership and eliminating ambiguity in decision-making.
• Effective communicator and influencer across all organizational levels, with the ability to align diverse stakeholders in a matrix environment.
• Data-driven decision-maker with strong analytical capabilities, enabling fact-based prioritization and performance management.

Technical competencies:

• Deep expertise in pharmaceutical, biologics and vaccine manufacturing within a GxP-regulated environment, with proven capabilities across multi-product and multi-technology operations, including antigen, live and inactivated vaccines, pharmaceuticals and packaging environments.
• Extensive experience in operational excellence methodologies (Lean, Six Sigma, MPS) and their application in complex manufacturing settings.
• Experience managing large-scale, shift-based manufacturing operations with high complexity and regulatory requirements.
• Strong knowledge of global regulatory expectations and successful engagement in inspections with health authorities.
• Proven track-record in project management, ensuring production and project milestones are achieved through planning, effective decision making and execution of integrated overall program schedule.
• Capacity to operate effectively in an international matrix organization, exhibit strong leadership influence, and willingness to challenge respectfully and shape business strategy.
• Sound judgment and comfortable operating in a challenging, fast-paced and sometimes ambiguous environment.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, and the ability to work independently, and make decisions in a constantly changing environment.
• Proven ability to lead transformational change effectively.
• Solid financial acumen, with demonstrated ability to manage costs, improve productivity, and maintain cost competitiveness.

Minimum Education/Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Life Sciences, or a related discipline.
• Minimum of 15 years of experience in pharmaceutical or biotech manufacturing operations, including leadership of large-scale organizations.
• Demonstrated track record of sustained operational performance in complex manufacturing environments, including technology transfer experience.

Required Skills:

Preferred Skills:

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Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA, also known as Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, Rahway, NJ, USA, does not accept unsolicited assistance from search firms for employment opportunities. All CVs / resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at our company without a valid written search agreement in place for this position will be deemed the sole property of our company. No fee will be paid in the event a candidate is hired by our company as a result of an agency referral where no pre-existing agreement is in place. Where agency agreements are in place, introductions are position specific. Please, no phone calls or emails.

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